Mobile Suit: Generation
by Scarlet Eve
Summary: After the Eve Wars, there was peace. But not everyone agreed with the reorganization of boundaries on Earth, and agreed even less with the government of the colonies. So they developed weapons - very familiar weapons. With new weapons come a new generation of pilots, fighting once more for the peace of the Earth and Colonies. 1xR, 2XH, 3X4, 5xS, 6xN, OC pairings
1. Alarm

**Mobile Suit Generation**

**Alarm**

"_I bought a one way ticket to space_

_Let's get outta here_

_I heard Jupiter's nice this time of year_

_Out in the wild, find our Eden_

_Let's stay a while, then I'm leaving_

_Sound the alarm_

_In my heart_

_Aaaah, we're taking off_

_Sound the alarm_

_In my heart_

_Aaaah, we're taking off"_

_\- Alarm by Lookas_

May, A.C. 218

Marina Yuy hopped up onto the concrete block wall that surrounded her private school. From her vantage point, she could watch the other students walk through the front gates and cross the courtyard towards the school's front entrance. She could see the Cherry Blossom trees with pink flowers, finally blooming now that the weather was spring-like. The fountain in the center of the courtyard sprouted up water at regular intervals, occasionally splashing passersby with droplets of water.

Marina smoothed her skirt over her knees and checked her watch. It was nearly time for the first bell. But she wasn't ready for another day of sitting in a classroom, listening to the teachers prattle on and on about history and math and literature. She longed for something else, something more, to fill her life. She drew a hand through her long, brown hair and sighed.

From across the courtyard, two more students passed through the front gate. Marina smiled. About time they arrived. She hopped from her perch on the wall and walked towards the set of fraternal twins, her cousins, Naina and Milou Peacecraft. They each raised a hand in greeting and smiled.

"Good morning," Marina said. They echoed her greeting, in sync, as usual. Marina envied her cousins; now that they were eighteen, they'd be graduating from high school and making their own way in the world. Most likely, they would get the chance to travel to Mars with their parents, something Marina wished for since she was a child. But her parents always told her 'no.'

Marina entered the school with Naina and Milou. They parted ways in the main hall and headed to their classrooms. Marina hitched her bag up higher on her shoulder and waded through the sea of faces of other students. She barely knew any of them. Marina tended to be a loner, except for a select few people, like her cousins. Her mother said she got that trait from her father.

She reached her classroom and passed through the door, taking a seat near the front of the room. She nodded to a few classmates with whom she was friendly and went about pulling out notebooks, tablet, and textbook. Her first class of the day was Introduction to Diplomacy. Another class her mother made her take.

Marina dropped her chin in her hand and glanced out the window. It was going to be a beautiful day, and she was stuck inside. The professor of the class appeared at the front of the room, carrying a stack of papers. It looked dangerously like a pop quiz. Marina wrinkled her nose and glanced around the room, checking if anyone else had noticed. A few of her classmates had similar expressions on their faces. Marina turned back towards the front of the room and sighed. She had a feeling it was going to be a long day.

The stack of papers was indeed a pop quiz, and the professor handed out the quiz, much to the chagrin of the class. Marina looked down at the page, only to have the words swim together into incomprehensible squiggles. She hadn't done the reading that was assigned, which meant every question was unfamiliar to her. She silently cursed herself, but picked up a pen and began to fill out the answers as best as she could guess.

Marina had struggled through half the quiz when a loud commotion outside of the door drew the attention of the class. The door burst open, revealing a professor from a neighboring classroom. She appeared frazzled and in great distress.

"Turn on the TV!" she cried, pointing to the large, flat screen television mounted in the corner of the room. Marina's professor gave the woman a dark look.

"You're interrupting my class," he said. The woman shook her head and pointed again to the television.

"This is more important than some quiz! The ESUN building has been attacked!"

Gasps and cries erupted from the class. Marina's professor dropped his pen and grabbed the remote for the television and turned on the news. Sure enough, footage of the ESUN building appeared, smoking from one side. Something hovered in the air near the building. A blast erupted from the thing in the sky and hit the side of the building. An explosion burst from the side of the building, causing debris to fall from the upper floors down to the streets below, and more smoke poured into the sky, black as night.

Marina's hand flew to her mouth. Her immediate thoughts turned to her mother. Was she at the ESUN building? Her classmates cried out in horror at the images on the screen. She knew many of them were children of ESUN diplomats and ministers, just like she was.

In her bag, her phone rang. Marina grabbed it and saw "Mother" on the screen. She answered the call, despite being in the middle of class.

"Mother!" she cried into the phone.

"Marina - are you at school?"

"Of course I am. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I was home today. I'm coming to pick you and your cousins up from school," she said.

"Mother, what's happening?"

"We don't know yet."

* * *

"Hand me that wrench."

"Get it yourself."

A sigh.

Heero Yuy rolled his eyes and reached for the wrench near him on the floor. He lay underneath a small space transport pod, trying to fix the engine. His cohort was being particularly unhelpful.

"Duo, we know you're upset, but you need to help out here," a third voice said. Milliardo Zechs Peacecraft. "Otherwise, why are you even here?"

"I don't want to be alone in that house," Duo said, sullen. He sat in a chair nearby, leaning the chair back on two legs, his feet kicked up on the table. He twirled a screwdriver around his fingers. Zechs stood near the pod, looking over the design specs, trying to locate the cause of the problem that Heero was currently trying to fix.

Zechs' phone rang. He drew it from his pocket and answered without looking.

"Hello?" A frantic voice could be heard on the other side of the line. Zechs drew the phone away from his ear and adjusted the call volume. "Calm down, honey. What's going on?"

Duo stopped twirling his screwdriver, and Heero slid out from under the pod. Both men stared at Zechs, waiting to find out what was going on.

"What do you mean the ESUN building has been attacked?" Heero and Duo exchanged a worried glance. "What about the Preventer HQ?" A long pause. "I see. We'll be right there." Zechs hung up his phone and met the eyes of Heero and Duo.

"There's a major problem, and we're needed at Preventer." Heero, Duo, and Zechs abandoned their efforts on the space pod and ran from the warehouse that housed Zero-Seven Transport Co.

* * *

ESUN Vice President Dorothy Catalonia sat on a couch, watching the events in Brussels unfold from a hotel suite in New York City. She stared at the screen, eyes wide. Beside her, Mariemaia Khushrenada gripped her tablet so tightly she was liable to break it at any moment.

The top portion of the ESUN building collapsed down, breaking into pieces that scattered down below. Employees of the ESUN rushed out of the building, some breaking windows and jumping from the lower floors to get out faster. The news anchor stated that at any moment, the rest of the building could collapse on itself.

Dorothy's phone rang. She picked it up and answered the call. A voice on the other line confirmed her fears. Dorothy hung up and glanced at Mariamaia.

"The president is being hospitalized right now," Dorothy said. "He was injured trying to escape from the building." Mariemaia bit her lower lip.

"What do we do?" she asked, her voice desolate with loss. Dorothy turned back to the television screen.

"We wait. There's no way Preventer is going to allow me back to Brussels, so we'll have to take care of matters from here," she said.

The door to the suite opened and several Preventer agents entered the room. They were upright and tense. The head of Dorothy's security detail stepped up to the two women.

"Miss Vice President, we're going to have to remove you to this hotel's basement area. This hotel could be the next target."

Dorothy rose and smoothed her skirt over her thighs. Mariemaia rose beside her, adjusting her blouse and grabbing her bag. The agents circled the two women and led them from the room down to the basement shelter, built for precisely these situations.

* * *

Commander Une watched as the Preventer Headquarters emptied, the employees evacuated to the streets. Her agents and employees were scared and confused, and so far, Une felt the same way. She had little information about the attack on the ESUN building, and was worried that by the time she did receive intel, that another building would be attacked.

Her phone beeped. She checked the text message that came through. VP Catalonia was safely transported to the shelter in the hotel's basement in New York. Une released a sigh of relief. At least one of them would be alright. She couldn't imagine the chaos if both the President and VIce President were injured in the attacks, or worse, killed. Not to mention the VP's aid, Une's own adopted daughter, was in danger as well.

Glancing up at the sky, she could see still the attackers hovering over the burning, crumbling ESUN building. Her stomach sank lower as she observed the specks in the sky, their wings, their humanoid shape. She had not expected to see a mobile suit again in her lifetime, but there it was, hovering in the air, firing shot after shot at the ESUN building. The worst part, the thing that clutched at Une's insides, was the fact that they had no way to defend themselves.

* * *

"Quatre! Look!"

Katherine Oud Winner cried, pointing to the television. Quatre looked up from his tea and newspaper, and his mouth fell open. The footage on the screen showed the ESUN tower smoking and crumbling. Helicopters zipped around the open air space, filming the wreckage. Among the assembled aircraft were machines that looked suspiciously like mobile suits.

"No…" Quatre breathed, watching intently. Katherine glanced at him.

"What's happening? I don't understand," Katherine said, rising from her chair. She went around behind Quatre placed her hands on his shoulders. Quatre covered one of her hands with his own.

"I don't know, Katherine," Quatre answered, still gazing, unblinking, at the television screen. His phone began to ring. Quatre picked it up and held the device to his ear.

"Hello?"

"_Quatre, it's Heero." _

"What's going on?" Quatre asked, still staring at the television screen. Just then, the roof collapsed inward onto the upper floors of the building, sending a cloud of dust and particles up into the air. Smoke swirled with the cloud above on the otherwise beautiful day in Brussels.

"_We're going to need the team in Brussels. Can you take the prototype to the spaceport?"_

"You know it's not entirely legal to by flying these things," Quatre replied.

"_Yeah, well, this is an emergency." _

"I'll be there."

Heero hung up the phone without saying goodbye, as usual, and Quatre stowed his phone in his pants pocket. He glanced at Katherine

"We're going to Brussels."

Though her lips remained in a straight line, Quatre thought he saw a spark of excitement in the young girl's eyes.

* * *

-SE


	2. Walk on Water

**Mobile Suit: Generation**

**Walk on Water**

"_Can you even see what you're fighting for?_

_Bloodlust and a holy war_

_Listen up, hear the patriots shout_

_"Times are changing"_

_In the end, the choice was clear_

_Take a shot in the face of fear_

_Fist up in the fiery light_

_Times are changing"_

_-Walk on Water by 30 Seconds to Mars_

* * *

Relena's driver had insisted on taking her to pick up the children from school. As she sat in the backseat, wringing her hands together, she knew he was right. Relena was far too agitated to safely drive herself to the school. When the black limousine pulled up in front of the school, Relena could see through the window that students were pouring from the front doors. There were cars lined up all along the block, waiting for their children. Through the crowd, Relena spotted her niece and nephew, who towered over the rest of the students with the height they inherited from her brother.

Relena rolled down the window and waved to Naina and Milou. They saw her and moved through the crowd. Trailing behind was Marina. The children reached the car, and Relena opened the door from the inside. The three of them slid onto the bench seat, one after another, until Marina closed the door behind her.

"I'm so glad you're safe," Relena said, hugging all three of them at once. Beneath her hold, she could feel her daughter stiffen.

"We were worried about you, too, Aunt Lena," Naina said. Relena gave the girl a smile.

"I'm grateful that I wasn't at the ESUN building today, that's for sure. But we don't know yet the toll that this attack has taken," she said, sitting back in her seat.

"What are the Preventers gonna do?" Marina asked, leaning forward slightly in her seat. Relena shook her head.

"I don't know yet. Right now, they're operating under the assumption that the Preventer tower will be next."

Marina's eyes glimmered with excitement. Relena frowned at her daughter, wondering where this lust for excitement came from. Relena had become aware of this fact about her daughter only recently, and still wasn't sure how to curb the girl's fascination with war. After all, Relena had never been able to sway Dorothy from her obsession. Relena knew she would have to get Heero involved, but she wasn't ready yet. She wanted to try and tackle this issue on her own.

The ride to the Darlian-Yuy residence passed in relative silence. Relena clutched her phone in her hand, waiting for any updates, but Heero had not contacted her yet. She knew the Preventers called in their best agents, but so far, she had no idea what their plan was.

At last home, Relena ushered the children down into the basement of the home, where Heero had specifically built a secure shelter for these kinds of instances. The small household staff was already there, huddled together.

Pagan's granddaughter and head of Relena's household, Mary, stepped forward, her hands wringing together.

"What's happening?" she asked. "We came down here as soon as we heard about the attack."

"I don't know," Relena said, frowning, glancing at the children behind her as they settled onto the couches set up in one corner of the shelter. Marina met her mother's eyes briefly, before sitting down beside her cousins and pulling out her phone.

* * *

Heero stood in the shelter command center, deep below the Preventer building. He leaned against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest. The team was mobilizing. Sally and Wufei were on their way back from their mission in the northern part of the continent, Quatre was on his way to Brussels, and the rest of them were already here. He glanced around at Duo, Trowa, Zechs and Une. Their faces were all grave. Even Duo's.

In his pocket, his phone chirped. He pulled the device out and checked. It was Relena.

_Children and I are safe at home. What's going on?_

Heero pressed his lips together. He wished he had something to tell her.

_Good. Not sure yet. Une has not been forthcoming. _

"Where's Noin?" Zechs asked Une, who was still pacing in front of the room. She raised an eyebrow.

"I would have assumed you knew," Une said. "She wasn't at Zero-Seven with you?"

"No, I thought she was with you."

The room tensed. Zechs jammed his hand in his pocket and pulled out his phone. He tried her number.

"Straight to voicemail," he said, his voice dark. "She didn't go to the ESUN building today, did she?"

Une shook her head. She didn't know. Heero brought up Noin's Preventer calendar on his phone while Zechs began to pace. Sure enough, Noin had a meeting that morning at the ESUN tower. He glanced up at Zechs, but his words caught in his throat. After a moment, he finally spoke.

"She was at the tower this morning," Heero said, trying to keep his voice level. Zechs blew up, as Heero would have expected.

"I need to go find her," Zechs said, already heading for the door. Une called after him, but Zechs ignored her. Une sighed and looked to Trowa.

"Trowa, go with him. Make sure he doesn't do anything stupid," she said.

* * *

Hilde walked down the street, her sullen teenager, Duo Jr, trailing behind her. She could hear his feet scraping against the sidewalk as he barely lifted his feet from the ground. He'd been acting like this ever since she made him come with her to L2, after she decided to separate from Duo for a time. They were staying with some relatives of Hilde's, and she was stressed enough, trying not to be an imposition. And to have DJ acting like he was on top of it - she was liable to turn gray at any moment.

She glanced over her shoulder when she heard his footsteps stop. "DJ, come on. We need to get these errands done," she said. But her son was staring up at a screen mounted on the side of a building. In fact, the same thing was being broadcast all over the street, on all the buildings.

The ESUN tower was under attack.

Pedestrians in the streets all stopped walking to watch the terror play out on screen. Many had hands covering their mouths in shock and surprise. Hilde watched in horror as the top most part of the tower crumbled down into itself - the roof had already caved in. At any moment, the whole tower could collapse.

DJ grabbed her arm. "What if they attack Preventer?" he asked her, tugging on her arm.

"Une will have already evacuated the building," Hilde said in an attempt to reassure him. More than likely, Duo would be hanging out at Zero-Seven with the others. But she didn't know his schedule anymore. Duo was far from a creature of habit.

"Mom, we need to go back to Earth," he said, tugging on her again. She pulled her arm away and stared at her son, his tousled brown hair covering his eyes. It was strange to see Duo inside her son, especially without the braid.

"Even if shuttles are going to Earth, they definitely won't be going to Brussels right now," Hilde said. "They've probably shut down all travel until they figure out what's going on."

"But what about dad?" DJ asked. Hilde pressed her lips into a line. She didn't think she could handle this argument from her son, again.

"Dad will be fine," she said, hoping she wasn't lying. "Une will make sure he stays out of trouble."

DJ rolled his eyes.

"Une is going to put him right in the middle of trouble! Only you can keep him out of trouble," DJ said. "We should all be together… as a family."

Hilde closed her eyes and turned away from DJ. She looked back up at the screen, at the devastation playing out on Earth. She wasn't sure she was ready to face Duo yet. She knew he wouldn't change, and she didn't know if she could deal with him anymore. Was it right to keep her son away from his father? She had to think of her own happiness as well.

Besides, she hadn't stolen a shuttle in _years_.

* * *

Quatre and Katherine were enroute to Brussels in their semi-illegal shuttle pod prototype when the tower fell.

They watched on a small screen on the dashboard, as the tower buckled under the weight of itself and collapsed to the ground. An enormous cloud of smoke and debris rose up, clouding the city in grey and brown. The smoke was so thick, it was hard for the cameras to see through to the destruction the collapse left in its wake. The death toll calculator in the bottom corner of the screen was in the hundreds, but Quatre knew that number would be in the thousands before the day was over.

The only relief is that the mysterious weapons had disappeared. It seemed that their objective was to take down the ESUN tower, and leave the Preventer tower alone. Quatre was grateful, but that didn't mean they wouldn't come back. He hoped that when he arrived in Brussels, Une and the others would have some information to pass on about what the heck was going on.

"Such needless violence," Katherine said, watching the screen. Quatre frowned deeply and nodded.

"We haven't seen this kind of violence since… well… since the wars," he said. Katherine gave him a sympathetic look. Quatre had told her the stories of the wars, what Quatre had lost and what had been taken from him. But she also knew how he changed and grew from the experiences. And Quatre knew that Katherine would grow and change as well.

Finally reaching Brussels, Quatre landed on the tarmac. Of course, a contingent of ESUN Air Force and Brussels police converged on the pod. Quatre sighed, but motioned for Katherine to exit the pod.

Together, they climbed out of the pod and onto the tarmac. They were immediately surrounded at gunpoint. Both Katherine and Quatre raised their hands up.

"My name is Quatre Raberba Winner," he said. Some of the men lowered their guns. He reached, slowly, into his pocket and pulled out a wallet. From the wallet, he retrieved his ESUN identification card, his Preventer identification card, and his Winner Corporation identification card. A man stepped forward and took these items from him.

"Oh, Mister Winner," he said, accepting the ID and handing it back over. "I understand why you're here, but you have to know that piloting that thing is illegal, and the airspace above this region is closed."

"I'm aware," Quatre said. "But it's pertinent that I reach the Preventer headquarters." The man thought for a few moments, and finally stepped to the side. He motioned for the others to lower their guns.

"I'll let you go this time, Mister Winner, but next time, use the proper means of transportation," he said.

Quatre smiled and nodded. He pulled Katherine along beside him as they hurried to the terminal.

* * *

-SE


	3. Waking Lions

**Mobile Suit: Generation**

**Waking Lions**

"_Is it better to die than live another day_

_I'm not afraid_

_I'm not gonna run from the scars and within, burning your skin_

_They wanna lay me to rest, but I won't go_

_Yeah_

_I won't go_

_I wanna stand up, a hundred feet tall_

_'Cause fear will never lead the way_

_I'm ready to run, a hundred miles strong_

_I will never be the same_

_Waking the lions in me"_

_-Waking Lions by Pop Evil_

* * *

Zechs and Trowa moved through the chaos, covering their mouths and noses with their Preventer jackets, though it did little to keep the smoke and dust from entering their lungs. Both coughed up dark phlegm.

"I don't understand," Zechs said as they moved through the running crowds. "She called me and told me what happened. I thought she was already with the Preventers."

"Maybe she called as soon as she knew something was happening," Trowa suggested. Zechs shrugged and shook his head. They reached a police barricade. Both flashed their Preventer badges, and were allowed through. "I'm sure she was able to get out in time."

"She would have stayed back to help others. I know my wife," Zechs said. Trowa sighed but continued to follow Zechs through the fray. They found a cluster of ambulances, and Zechs approached, showing the men and women a picture of Noin. All he got was shaking heads.

"You should get out of here while you can, Agents," a police officer said to Trowa, appearing at his side. "We don't know if they're going to come back and attack again."

"What was it?" Trowa asked. The office shook his head.

"I'm not sure, but they almost looked like… like small mobile suits. You're probably too young to remember the wars but…"

"I was there," Trowa interrupted. The officer looked surprised for a moment.

"Then you recall the monstrous suits that roamed the Earth. Well this thing looked just like that, but much smaller," the office explained. "Anyway, you should get out of here if you can." The officer walked away, leaving Trowa to wait for Zechs alone, while he continued to question the emergency services.

Small mobile suits? Relena was going to be pissed.

Zechs hurried back to Trowa. He appeared to be both tense and relieved at the same time. Trowa raised an eyebrow.

"What is it?"

"I think I know where Noin is," he said. "Someone may have seen her before she was transported to Brussels General Hospital." Trowa nodded.

"Let's go."

* * *

Marina sat on the couch beside her cousins, bored out of her mind. Her mother had disappeared, but Marina was ordered to stay in the shelter. She and her friends had already exchanged all the relevant gossip, and now the airways were silent. She played a dumb game on her phone for a while, but quickly lost interest.

A commotion at the door to the shelter caught Marina's attention, and the door opened. Her mother appeared, with two others following behind.

Marina's eyes lit up. Entering the shelter were two of her friends: the fair-haired Katherine and the brown-haired Kat, Sally Po's daughter. Marina jumped from her place on the couch and ran across the room, throwing her arms around her two friends. They laughed and hugged her back.

"You're both here!" she cried, smiling ear to ear.

"We just arrived back from the northern shore," Kat said.

"And Quatre and I flew into Brussels illegally," Katherine added, excitement twinkling in her eyes. Marina let out a laugh. But she could feel her mother's eyes on her. She glanced at Relena.

"Yes, mother?" she asked.

"The five of you have to stay down here while we figure out what's going on. I'm going to the Preventer building," she said.

"Mother, we're old enough to go with you!" Marina said, stomping her foot. Relena inhaled sharply and stared at her daughter. Marina immediately dropped her chin and shuffled her feet. "I'm sorry."

"We'll let you know more when we get a handle on the situation," Relena said, nodded to the children, and left the room.

Marina turned and skulked back to the couch and sank down into the cushion. Naina and Milou were both laughing at her.

"Leave it to Marina to throw a fit," Milou said.

"Oh, be quiet," Marina said. Kat and Katherine joined them on the couches. The television on the wall continued to replay the footage of the building collapsing over and over again. "You know, when our parents were our age, they were in the thick of the war," she said, glancing around the circle. "But they treat _us_ like children?"

"We are children," Katherine said. "Quatre and the others fought the war so we wouldn't have to."

"It's dangerous out there," Kat added. Marina rolled her eyes.

"Your mom take you on all kinds of missions," Marina said. "You don't even have to go to school."

"I still have school work," Kat said, crossing her arms. "I'm just on a different path."

"Than what?"

"Than you, Miss Peacecraft-Darlian-Yuy. You have a powerful name, and you'll be powerful some day, just like your parents," Kat said. Marina pursed her lips.

"I don't want to be like my parents," she grumbled. Silence fell.

"Why?" Naina asked.

"All of your parents do cool stuff!" Marina cried. "My mom sits in meetings all day and my dad just tinkers with his toys."

"You're clueless," Milou said. He pulled his phone from his pocket and tapped a few times. He leaned forward and showed the screen to Marina. On his screen was a video of her mother, during her time as Queen of the World. Marina stared into the blue eyes of her young mom, preaching peace for the Earth and Colonies. "Aunt Relena did all this, for us," Milou said. "She sits in meetings to preserve that peace."

"A lot of good that did her," Marina said, waving at the television. Silence fell once more. "I just want to _do_ _something_."

"We all do," Kat said, her voice low. "You're not alone in your feelings. We've been surrounded by legends our entire lives, and we want to live up to those legends."

"But on my own terms," Marina interjected.

"Of course," Katherine said. Naina and Milou glanced at each other.

"You know, our parents aren't letting us go to Mars right away," Naina said. "I know you think that, Marina, but they're making us go to school first, and get an education that will be useful, if we want to go there."

Marina blinked. She had never considered this. That she might be expected to do something useful. Well, if that was the case, then she would find something useful to do, even if her parents disagreed.

She fell silent and leaned back in the couch in a contemplative mood.

* * *

The underground Preventer shelter was over-warm with too many bodies. Everyone gathered shifted around and spoke in low tones, waiting for Une to give a briefing of the current situation. So far, she had not re-entered the room. Heero's eyes shifted around at the faces of his friends and comrades: Duo, Quatre, Wufei, and Sally. Those who had gathered that were able, while the others were out chasing fires. Heero thought of Hilde, and wondered if she'd heard the news yet.

He glanced at Relena beside him, who was fingering a necklace. She looked worried. He leaned towards her.

"What's wrong?" he asked. She shook her head.

"We can talk about it later," Relena said, not meeting his eyes. Heero frowned but didn't press her.

The door to the room opened and Une walked in. She was followed in by the chief of the Brussels police department. They approached the front of the room. The chief stood off to the side while Une stood center in the room. She sighed and turned towards the screen mounted on the wall. She pressed a button on a small remote and a picture of the smoking ESUN tower appeared.

"At approximately 8:40 this morning, the ESUN tower was hit with explosives, multiple times. As of now, we're not sure what weapons were used to attack the tower, but we do have imagery." She pressed the button again, and another picture appeared, this one zoomed in on one of the weapons in the sky, hovering near the ESUN tower. The focus wasn't great, but it certainly looked like -

"Mobile suits."

The room gasped, but Heero nodded his head. He was expecting something like this to happen, based on the intel the Preventers had gathered over the years, along with the types of fires they've put out. Beside him, Relena shook with anger. He reached over and laid his hand over hers, attempting to calm her down.

"Do we know where they came from?" Heero asked, squeezing Relena's hand.

Une shook her head. "Not yet. That's why I brought you all here. Looks like the old crew is going to have to get back together."

"Where's Trowa?" a quiet voice asked from the back. Knowing glances shifted towards Quatre.

"He's with Zechs, keeping him cool, while they look for Noin," Une answered. "Our task is to find out where these suits came from, where they're being manufactured, and who is deploying them. And we have to work fast," Une said, meeting the eyes of everyone in the room. "The Brussels police department is going to work with us, and they'll be our eyes and ears in the streets. For now, I think you all know what to do. Activate Standard Procedure." A quiet murmuring filled the room as the chairs scraped back and everyone in the room rose to their feet. They filed from the room and split off into their known groups and headed for the command center.

* * *

Trowa and Zechs strode into the bustling Brussels General Hospital. There were injured people everywhere, lying on the floors, propped against the walls. Nurses and doctors ran from patient to patient, trying to treat everyone the best they could. Zechs stepped towards the front desk. Trowa followed.

The harried looking woman behind the desk glanced up at Zechs and sighed. "If you're here for someone specific, try looking on the floor," she said. Zechs frowned but succeeded in keeping his anger contained.

"I'm looking for Lucrezia Noin Peacecraft," Zechs said, ignoring the woman's comment. She stared hard at him for a moment, then leaned down and typed the name into the computer. She raised an eyebrow.

"She's on the 5th floor in room 506," the woman said, then turned abruptly away from him to talk to someone else. Zechs walked away without speaking and headed for the elevators. Trowa trailed behind, being careful to give enough space around the injured. Zechs pressed the button for the elevator, and they waited, trying to avoid making eye contact with the people lying around them, crying out in pain. Trowa's heart squeezed at the sound.

Finally, the elevator arrived, and they stepped inside. A few doctors and nurses squeezed inside with them, all covered in blood and other substances that Trowa didn't want to know about.

The ride to the 5th floor felt endless, but they arrived, and Zechs pushed through the doctors into the hallway. They hurried down to room 506 and stepped inside.

She was there.

Noin lay on a bed, a bandage wrapped around her head, where a spot of blood bled through at the temple. She wore a hospital gown and her arm was in a sling. She smiled when they stepped inside.

"I'm sorry I couldn't call you," she said. "I lost my phone after the second wave of attacks."

Zechs said nothing, but stepped to her side and leaned down, grasping her good hand and pressing his forehead to the crown of her head. Trowa felt a blush creep over his cheeks, and he stepped out into the hallway, wanting to give them privacy, though there were three other occupied beds crammed into the room with her.

In his pocket, his phone buzzed. He pulled it out and saw a text from Une. It read: _Standard Procedure. Activate Agent Seed._

* * *

-SE


	4. Into the Fire

**Chapter 4: Into the Fire**

"_I've come to terms with the fact I'll never change_

_And that's just fine, I find solace in the pain_

_I don't mind the darkness, it's easy on the eyes_

_I'm praying for something to make me feel alive_

_I wouldn't take back a moment_

_Not one miserable moment_

_I'll give it all, 'til there's nothing_

_I'd walk into the fire_

_Into the fire_

_I'd walk into the fire_

_Into the fire_

_Into the fire"_

_-Into the Fire by Asking Alexandria_

* * *

Vice President Dorothy Catalonia watched the news coverage of the devastation from the secured basement of the hotel, her phone gripped in her hand. Beside her, Mariemaia adopted the same position, leaned forward over her knees, phone clutched between her hands. Dorothy reached over and lay a hand on the young woman's wrist.

"Call your mother. It's alright," Dorothy said. Mariemaia sighed in relief and stepped away from the couch. Dorothy watched as Mariemaia brought up her mother's contact and put the phone to her ear.

Dorothy's mind raced. If the president didn't survive, she would be the next in line. And she knew what she had to do. It wouldn't be pleasant, and it would make some people angry, but she would be left with little choice. If she could make is back to Brussels, she'd have to launch Operation White Rabbit.

Mariemaia returned to Dorothy's side and sat back down. "Mother is fine. Noin got banged up during the attacks, but seems to be alright. Preventer has activated Standard Procedure."

"So the boys are back together," Dorothy muttered, still watching the television. "I really _had_ hoped we've never have to see Standard Procedure in my lifetime." Mariemaia pressed her lips into a line and nodded.

"I feel like I should be doing something to help," Mariemaia said, her eyes gazing at the television. On screen, the footage showed crews working through the night to pull bodies, some alive, some dead, from the wreckage of the collapsed building. The first responders looked exhausted, but they continued to work. Dorothy had asked for crews to be brought in from surrounding major cities to help with the work.

Dorothy jumped when her phone began to vibrate and ring in her hands. She recognized the number. It was the only one she had memorized. Her heart squeezed tightly and a tear forced its way into her eye. She answered.

"Madam Vice President?" the voice on the other end asked.

"Yes," she breathed.

"The President did not survive his injuries. He passed away a few minutes ago." The tear in Dorothy's eye fell down her cheek. She glanced at Mariemaia and shook her head. Mariemaia lowered her chin and closed her eyes. "You are now the acting President of the ESUN."

"Thank you."

Dorothy hung up the phone and lowered it between her knees. A heavy weight settled on her shoulders. She would have to appoint a new Vice President to fill the space left by her advancement. That would have to happen soon. But who could take that place?

One person came to mind, but Dorothy knew she'd never agree to it. The decisions Dorothy would have to make would drive a wedge between them and ruin their friendship. But perhaps in a dire situation, Relena Darlian-Yuy might agree to a temporary term as Vice President of the ESUN.

"I'm afraid we have some dark days and difficult decisions ahead of us," Dorothy said. Mariemaia nodded in agreement.

Dorothy rose from the couch and approached the Preventer agents guarding the door. They glanced down at her, frowning. "Have you heard anything else from Une?" she asked. The agents glanced at each other and shook their heads.

"Not yet."

"I need to return to Brussels as soon as possible," Dorothy said. "Make it happen."

The two agents reluctantly saluted his her. One of them pulled out his phone and turned away to make a phone call. Dorothy left him alone and returned to her place on the couch.

* * *

"Absolutely not. Out of the question."

Heero looked up from his computer in the basement command center of the Preventer building. Une was nearby, talking on the phone. He couldn't hear the other half of the conversation, but Une seemed adamant that whatever the request was to be denied.

"It is simply too dangerous right now. Give us a few days before-" She paused for a moment, listening. "Alright. Fine. If the proper precautions are taken, then she can return. But I'm sending more Preventers to escort her to the manor when you land here in Brussels."

Heero guessed at whom they were talking about: Vice President, or rather, President Dorothy Catalonia. Heero knew Relena must have heard the news by now, and she would be rather distraught. She had a lot of similar ideals to the President, and Heero believed that Dorothy as President made Relena nervous. Heero would have to try and talk to her, the next time he had a chance to be alone with his wife. Who knew when that would be.

Sitting beside Heero was Duo, who was researching or hacking, or doing whatever it was that Duo did. As he worked, his phone began to ring. Duo picked it and answered without stopping his work.

"Hello?" he answered. "Oh, hey buddy…. I'm fine…. You know I can't tell you that sort of thing." Duo stopped and listened for a moment, then said, "No. Stay in space with your mother. We don't know what we're dealing with here…. I know. I'm sorry, buddy."

Heero felt sorry for Duo and his situation. He couldn't imagine being separated from his child by outer space. Duo hung up the phone after saying goodbye, set his phone down, and leaned back in his chair for a moment before resuming his work. Heero stared at Duo for a moment, then looked back at his own screen.

On it was a high resolution image of the machines that attacked the ESUN. Heero's job was to study the images and try to determine their make. So far, he's determined that they were made up of, at least in part, gundanium alloy. The metal had a certain sheen to it that couldn't be replicated by other metals. And there was no denying it: the machines looked like miniature Gundams, though Heero couldn't tell if they were remotely operated or if they had pilots. He hoped Duo's work would shed some light on just where these suits came from.

* * *

Relena and Quatre left the Preventer headquarters and traveled with a contingent of Preventer agents to the Brussels presidential manor, which miraculously hadn't been attacked. It was not underground yet, so Relena and Quatre were able to walk up the front steps to the door, passing by the posted guards. The door swung open for them, and they stepped inside the cool building.

The inside of the manor was chaos. There were people everywhere, some with injuries, some without, but no one seemed to know what to do with themselves. Relena recognized most of the faces in the room from her days in the ESUN tower, though a few names escaped her. Relena climbed the steps to the second floor balcony and looked down over the chaotic room. A few people saw her, and a hush fell over the room as all eyes turned on her.

"I'm glad to see so many of you here," she said, folding her hands in front of her. "We don't know the devastation that we faced today because of these attacks, but I hope everyone prays for the souls of those we lost." Relena paused for a moment of silence for their fallen comrades. "Until we have a handle on what is happening, I ask that everyone try to remain positive. We cannot let the state of the Earth fall into disrepair because of these attacks."

"What about the president?" someone shouted from the crowd.

"I have not heard his status," Relena answered.

"I heard he's dead," someone else said. Relena shook her head.

"I do not know. Once that information is available, it will be released," she said, trying to keep her voice even. She glanced to Quatre, who gave her a nod and an encouraging smile. Until at least, simultaneously, their phones vibrated. Relena held up her phone while the crowd watched her in silence. It was a message from Une.

_President is dead. Ruby Falcon is acting president. _

Relena and Quatre glanced at each other. Standard Procedure had to be followed. Very soon, news crews would be outside the Presidential manor, waiting for confirmation from either Dorothy or the Attorney General.

In the meantime…

"Ladies and gentlemen," she began, glancing around the room. From the expressions on some faces, they guessed at what she was about to say. "The President is dead. Vice President Dorothy Catalonia is now acting President."

A roar erupted in the room. Relena stepped backwards, and allowed herself to be surrounded by her Preventer escort. Quatre edged to her side and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Let's get out of here before the news crews show up," he said. Relena nodded.

"Take us to my home," Relena said to the Preventer agents. They nodded and escorted the two former politicians from the Presidential manor, leaving a wake of anguish and anger behind them.

* * *

In the penthouse office of a gleaming office building, towering over the city of Moscow, two men met together, exchanging handshakes and bourbon. They sat down in smooth leather chairs, a glass table between them at their knees. A crystal decanter of fine bourbon and two crystal glasses stood on the table. The older man leaned forward and pulled the stopper out of the decanter and poured a measure of bourbon in each glass. Each man picked up a glass and clinked the edges together. At the same time, they took a practiced sip of the spirit and lowered the glass to the arm of the chair.

"The plan went off without a hitch," the older man said. He grinned at his partner. The younger man returned the grin and sipped again at his bourbon.

"It won't be long before they discover us, but we'll be ready by then," the younger man said.

"Are you sure we shouldn't have attacked the Preventer headquarters?"

"I'm sure. It's half the fun anyway, picking those people off one at a time. Besides, we're not complete monsters," the younger man said, talking around a laugh. "We want to have a little fun."

"How do you know that they'll be able to retaliate?" the older man asked.

"Just a feeling. I don't know Dorothy Catalonia personally, but her reputation precedes her. Now that she's president, it won't be long before she retaliates. Then the real fun will start."

"You sound as if this is all a game," the older man chided. His partner smiled.

"It certainly is a game," he said. "And I am confident that we will win."

"Assuming this game of yours has rules," the older man said. The younger man merely grinned and sipped his bourbon.

* * *

-SE


	5. White Rabbit

**Chapter 5: White Rabbit**

_Your magic white rabbit_

_Has left its writing on the wall_

_We follow like Alice_

_And just keep diving down the hole_

_-White Rabbit by Egypt Central_

The news of the president's death spread quickly throughout the Earth and Colonies. Every major and minor news outlet reported twenty-four hours about the attacks and the death toll. Many members of the ESUN government were killed in the attacks. Preventer Standard Procedure had been activated and the current President of the ESUN was on her way back to Brussels on a potentially dangerous flight.

And Marina was still stuck in the shelter built below her family home. She and the others had run out of card games to play, and Marina was far too excited to sleep. But they were stuck down there until such time as it was deemed safe enough to return to normal life.

If there ever would be a normal life now.

Marina had heard enough from the news and the conversations between the adults that small mobile suits had initiated the attack, and as of yet, they did not know was behind the attacks. Marina hadn't seen her father in over twenty-four hours; he was busy at the Preventer headquarters working on the problem with the others.

Her mother, on the other hand, was making phone call after phone call. Marina didn't know the subject of the phone calls, but her mother maintained a calm demeanor as much as possible, though Marina could see in her face that she was exhausted.

Milou and Naina made themselves useful, bringing around food and water for those in the shelter, giving a break to the household staff, who were not allowed to leave and see their families yet. Marina wondered if they were annoyed that her mother was keeping them all there.

Marina was about to doze off on one of the couches when a commotion at the door attracted her attention. The inner and outer doors of the shelter opened and several people walked inside, including her father and her uncle. Her mother jumped up and ran to her father, who looked disheveled and tired. Marina perked up, hoping to hear more information.

Marina rose from the couch and crossed the room to where her parents conferred with each other in low voices. As she approached, Heero reached his arm out, and Marina nestled into his embrace. His arm circled her shoulders and pulled her to his side.

"What's going on?" she asked, attempting to keep her voice as innocent as possible. Her father released a sigh. "Is Aunty Lu okay?"

"She'll be alright," Zechs answered.

"We're in a bad situation," her father said, glancing down at her.

"They're saying that the building was attacked by mobile suits," Marina blurted out. She saw her mother cringe, and her father tensed. Even Uncle Zechs looked unhappy.

"It is certainly giving me flashbacks," her mother mumbled. Zechs reached out and wrapped an arm around his sister's shoulders.

"Don't worry. We'll get this taken care of," he said, confident as always.

"I hope so."

Heero gave Marina a squeeze, then released her. "I have to go," he said, nodding to Zechs. "We have to meet the President at the airport and escort her to the manor."

"You can't leave again!" Marina whined. Heero gave her cheek a pat.

"I'll be back before you know it," he said. Turning to Relena, he kissed her, and Marina looked away. With Zechs at his side, Heero left the shelter, the doors closing behind him. Her mother's face paled, and even after a few hours since the attacks began, Marina could see that the fine lines on her mother's face deepened, the dark circles under her eyes darkened. Marina stared at her mother a moment longer, but she was already on the phone again. Marina turned away and sat back down with her friends and cousins, to continue waiting.

* * *

The black Preventer car pulled up to the curb in front of the Brussels Presidential Manor. Commander Une pushed open the back door and stepped out onto the sidewalk. The stairwell leading up to the doors was flanked by Preventer security. Une knew there were just as many hidden agents as there were visible agents. She nodded to the Preventers and ascended the steps to the front door. The biometric scanner beside the door gleamed. Une stood in front of the panel and pulled open her eyelids for a retinal scan, then placed her hand on the scanner. Her profile appeared on the screen, confirming her clearance for entrance into the manor.

The doors opened and Une stepped through.

The foyer was eerily quiet. Getting inside was the difficult part, but once inside, there were few Preventer agents walking around. The rest of the building was monitored by high-tech cameras from a secret location within the manor. Une glanced up at the nearest camera and gave it a curt nod.

Une strode forward and stepped into a waiting elevator, taking it down two levels to the President's office. The elevator slid to a halt two floors below ground. Une stepped out of the elevator and took a left towards the office. There was more activity on this floor, mainly consisting of aids and assistants to the President and her cabinet. Young men and women scurried from room to room carrying papers, tablets, and other supplies, chatting with each other in brief snippets as they passed in the hall.

Une passed through the activity until she reached the end of the hallway. A desk stood outside the door. A kind smile spread over Une's face.

"Mother!"

Mariemaia jumped from her chair and circled the desk. She threw her arms around Une's neck and pulled her adoptive mother into a fierce hug. Une returned the hug and kissed her daughter on the cheek.

"I'm glad to see you made it back in one piece," Une said, squeezing her daughter tightly. "I was worried."

Mariemaia released her hold on Une and stepped backward. "We were worried about traveling as well. Thankfully, we made it back without incident. It seems that the insurgents have backed off briefly," Mariemaia said. Une smiled, knowing there was more to the story, and didn't begrudge her daughter for not knowing the intricacies of transporting the President from one country to another.

"Is Dorothy there?" Une asked, gesturing towards the door.

Mariemaia nodded and stepped aside, allowing Une to pass. She walked to the door and pressed her hand against the biometric scanner, allowing the door to open. Une entered the office, followed by Mariemaia.

Recently promoted President Dorothy Catalonia sat behind the large, mahogany desk in the center of the office. She speaking quickly into the phone pressed to her ear. She glanced up when Une and Mariemaia entered, and gestured towards the chairs on the opposite side of the desk. The two women took seats and waited while Dorothy finished her conversation. After a few minutes, Dorothy hung up the phone and looked up.

"Commander Une," she said by way of greeting. "You've arrived just when I expected you to."

Une glanced sideways at Mariemaia, and made a snap decision that she could trust her daughter with a heavy secret. After all, they were on the edge of a war.

"I think it's time to enact Operation White Rabbit," Une said, pressing the tips of her fingers together. Dorothy inhaled sharply through her nose and leaned back in her chair.

"What's that?" Mariemaia asked, looking between Une and Dorothy. "Mother?"

Dorothy sighed and turned towards her computer. She tapped a few keys until a document appeared on her screen. She angled her monitor so the three of them could see it. Mariemaia gasped.

The document on the screen showed the model and specs of a mobile suit. It was much smaller than the mobile suits of the previous wars, only slightly larger than an average human being. But it had a sleek, powerful looking design. Une pressed her lips together before speaking.

"We already know what power our enemies have," Une said. "We can't allow them to crush us without retaliation." Dorothy sighed and closed the document on the screen.

"Who else knows about this secret operation?" Mariemaia asked. Une and Dorothy exchanged a glance.

"The two of us, and now you," Dorothy said. "And a handful of Preventer engineers who have been sworn to secrecy." Dorothy rose from her chair and pressed her hands down the desktop. Une could tell that the woman was struggling with the decision to begin the operation, but it was really their only choice. They had to defend their democracy that they fought so hard for over twenty years ago.

"Okay. Commander Une, deploy Operation White Rabbit." Dorothy said. Une nodded and rose from the chair. She reached across the desk and shook Dorothy's hand. The two women locked eyes for a moment, both feeling the nerves and questions about the extreme measures they were about to take. But the decision was made.

* * *

Dorothy had one more item to take care of before she could turn in for the night. For good measure, she sent Mariemaia home with Une. She knew her aid would be safe with the head of the Preventer organization. Dorothy turned to her vid-phone and dialed a number.

She waited, until finally, Relena Yuy's face appeared on the screen.

"Dorothy," Relena said.

"Hello, darling."

"I can't say I didn't expect this call," Relena said. "And the answer is no."

"Why, I haven't asked you a thing," Dorothy said, feigning innocence.

"You're going to ask me to stop into the role of Vice President," Relena said. "The answer is no. After all, that's a democratically elected position. You can't just appoint someone to-"

"I know, dear. I know. I helped write our constitution, just as you did. But…" Relena raised an eyebrow. "I _could_ appoint you to your old position." Relena looked taken aback.

"What? As Foreign Minister? Why?"

"I'm going to need you in the coming weeks," Dorothy said.

"Dorothy, you know I'm always willing to help, but… to rejoin the workforce? I feel I've been out of it for so long…"

"Five years is not a long time, compared to the length of our lives," Dorothy said. "I'm going to need you to do what you do best."

Relena appeared contemplative for a while, until she finally nodded.

"Alright, I'll do it."

"Thank you," Dorothy said. They said goodbye, and Dorothy closed the call on her end. She leaned back in her chair, tapping the tips of her fingers together. Tomorrow, the unveiling of Operation White Rabbit would take effect, and after that, Relena would turn against Dorothy. And that's just what Dorothy wanted. Relena always had the ability to rally people to do the right thing, even if it was against Relena's own ideals.

With a heavy sigh, Dorothy rose from her chair and grabbed her purse and workbag. Her friendship with Relena was going to be tested, and Dorothy hoped when this was all over, they could still call themselves friends.

* * *

-SE


	6. Chaos

_I will never know what happens next_

_Even when my heart beats out my chest_

_Through all of the chaos, I'll find a way out_

_I know home is where you make it_

_I will always fight for one more breath_

_Even in a cardiac arrest_

_Through all of the chaos, I'll find a way out_

_I know home is where you make it_

_-Chaos by I Prevail_

It was the middle of the night when Duo emerged from his haze of hacking. He blinked and looked around, only to find that the room was empty. He wasn't sure how long he'd been at it, but it felt like a while. Duo rose and stretched his back, extending his arms above his head until he heard his spine crack. He dropped his arms and spun around, grabbing his Preventer jacket off the back of the chair.

He headed out of the command room and wound his way through the halls to the break room, which was empty. He crossed to the espresso machine and punched the buttons until a paper cup filled with thick, dark liquid. He drank it down in one gulp, shuddering at the bitter taste. He turned when he heard footsteps enter the room.

It was Commander Une.

"Duo?"

"Hey, boss," he said, lifting his empty paper cup to her. He turned and filled it with more espresso.

"I hate to sound uncouth, but have you come up with anything?" she asked, stepping into the room, rubbing at her eyes.

"Actually, yes," Duo said, swigging a second cup of espresso. "I have all the documentation printed out and ready for our next meeting."

"The meeting is first thing in the morning. Why don't you go to the barracks and get some sleep?" Une suggested. Duo shook his head.

"There's more I can do," Duo said. "Besides, after this, I'll be wired."

"You haven't slept in over a day," she said, a motherly voice coming out. Duo shrugged and turned away.

"I'll be fine. Don't worry about me," he said. He tossed the paper cup into the trash can and turned back to face Une. She was still staring at him, a worried expression on her face.

"You know, Duo… ever since Hilde-" Duo waved a hand to stop Une from speaking.

"Like I said, boss, don't worry about me," he said. "I've got everything under control." Une pressed her lips together in a thin line, but said nothing else. Duo brushed past her. "I've got to get back to work. See you in the AM." Duo left the break room and Une behind.

* * *

When Relena awoke the next morning, it was with a tightness in her chest. Ever since the late-night call with Dorothy, Relena had been stressed. She never expected to be part of the ESUN government again in her life, but she had accepted the position. But why? Why would Dorothy need her so badly to call Relena up from civilian life? She must have some sort of plan. Dorothy rarely operated without a plan.

Heero rose beside Relena, sensing that she was awake. With his eyes still closed, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her down beside him.

"I want to say 'good morning,' but it's not exactly good right now," Relena said. Heero grunted. He stroked her hair with one hand, his eyes opening a slit to look at her.

"Every morning with you is a good morning," he mumbled. Relena's chest tightened further, but for once in the last few days, it was a tightness of affection and love. She kissed him on the lips, smelling the sweat on his skin that usually popped up during the night. His eyes opened fully, and he gave her a squeeze.

"Everything will be alright," he said, pulling himself to wakefulness. Relena shrugged her shoulders.

"I hope so."

Together, they climbed from the uncomfortable mattress they'd slept on in a secluded room located in the mansion bunker. They stretched, their muscles aching. Relena quickly changed into a clean set of clothes- a pair of jeans and a blouse, while Heero did the same. He pulled his Preventer jacket over a black t-shirt and jeans.

They left the room and headed towards the central waiting area. The televisions had been on all night, the volume muted, replaying the same footage over and over again. Relena saw Marina asleep on one of the couches, surrounded by her friends, who were either on blow-up mattresses or just sleeping on the floor. Relena pressed her lips together in a line. She had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach, and no amount of reassuring herself that Marina would be safe, would make it go away.

The doors opened and several Preventer agents stepped inside. They flashed their badges to Relena and Heero. Heero nodded.

"Ready?" he asked Relena. She nodded, her eyes still on Marina. She saw the girl stir, but remained asleep.

They left together through the doors, surrounded by the Preventer agents. Relena noticed that Heero held his hand against his side, where he usually kept his gun holstered. He likely didn't trust the Preventer agents currently escorting them. Relena felt too exhausted to worry about that. Afterall, it wouldn't be the first time she'd been kidnapped…

* * *

Une watched her team file into the room in the underground bunker at the Preventer HQ. All of them looked exhausted, particularly Duo, who probably didn't take her advice to get some sleep. He was carrying an extra large cup of coffee in one hand and a donut in the other. He slumped down in a chair, his eyelids heavy.

Heero and Relena arrived shortly after Quatre, and Trowa and Zechs arrived together. Une wondered if they had been at the hospital with Noin all night. Surely at least Trowa would have gone home.

Wufei and Sally were the last to arrive, both looking sullen and tired, like the rest of them. Une settled into her chair.

"Thank you all for coming, and I hope at least a few of you got some sleep," she said, glancing around the room. There were a few mutters. "Let's just jump into this. Duo, care to start us off?"

"Sure thing," he said, rising from his chair. He walked to the front of the room and picked up the small remote from beside Une's stack of papers. He clicked a button on the remote and a photo of a large office building appeared.

"The attacks originated from Moscow, in the Russian territories, by a group called ODIN. As far as I could tell, they _wanted _me to find them. It was too easy to get into their system," Duo said, glancing around the table at the others. Une saw their eyebrows raise. "And one other thing," Duo added, clicking a button on the remote. A picture of what appeared to be a mobile suit appeared. "They have an army of these small mobile suits, like the ones that we saw attacking the ESUN building. I don't know yet if they are manned or remotely operated, but either way, this is a problem."

Duo handed back the remote and sat back down.

"How could they have done this under our noses?" Sally wondered aloud. "If they're made of gundanium, then we would have noticed shipments coming in…"

Une nodded. "We have to assume they've been using a different type of resource, something we're not monitoring. Or they've been recycling old mobile suits from the wars." Une glanced at Quatre.

"What was the name of that company that took care of all the scrap metal?"

"RenTech Industries," Quatre said. "They're a technology company that I've worked with for a long time."

Duo tapped a finger against his chin. "I'll have to do some more digging," Duo said.

"Not until you get some sleep," Une commanded. Duo smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "Zechs, how is Noin?" she asked.

"She'll be okay. Just banged up," Zechs said, relief in his voice. Une nodded.

"How are the children?" she asked, turning to Relena and Heero.

"They're fine. Protected," Relena answered.

"And how is the investigation going?" Une asked, looking at Sally and Wufei.

"It's a mess out there," Sally said. "We've got teams assessing damage done to structures, and the clean up crews are working away, trying to locate any lost people in the rubble. We're looking at a manifest of those who swiped into the building that morning and are searching for every individual."

The room exhaled a collective breath. Une felt bad giving the worst task to Wufei and Sally, but she knew they could handle such a task. She checked her watch. It was nearly time for Dorothy's announcement of Operation White Rabbit. She felt a tension grow in her chest, her eyes straying towards Relena. This day was not going to go well.

* * *

-SE


	7. This is War

_A warning to the people, the good and the evil_

_This is war_

_To the soldier, the civilian, the martyr, the victim_

_This is war_

_It's the moment of truth and the moment to lie_

_And the moment to live and the moment to die_

_The moment to fight, the moment to fight,_

_To fight, to fight, to fight_

_-This is War by Thirty Seconds to Mars_

* * *

Dorothy stood in the antechamber in the Presidential Manor, her arms crossed over her chest. She rarely got nervous, but she was a little nervous now. Mainly because of the woman standing beside her.

Relena was calmly standing in the corner, doing something on her phone. Though Relena looked relaxed, Dorothy knew that Relena was likely anxious and stressed. And for good reason.

"Madam President, we're ready," an aid said, popping her head into the antechamber. Dorothy glanced at Relena.

"Ready?" she asked. Relena stowed away her phone and nodded. The two women stepped out of the antechamber into a large, circular room. The seal of the ESUN was emblazoned on the floor in the center of the room, and at the top, was a podium lined with microphones. Just behind and to the left of the podium was a large television screen. The press was held at bay by Preventer security guards.

Dorothy stepped up to the podium, motioning Relena to stand beside her. The cameras switched on, and the director pointed to Dorothy.

"Citizens of the Earth Sphere Unified Nation and the United Space Colonies: as you may know, the ESUN headquarters was attacked by unknown assailants yesterday. In the attacks, we lost our noble President, and it is with a heavy heart that I step into his role. Rest assured, our Preventer organization is doing everything possible to find out who was behind these attacks.

"But they can't do it alone.

"Relena Darlian, former Foreign Minister, is stepping out of retirement to assist with our current situation. We need her skills more than ever in these times."

Dorothy took a deep breath.

"And I call out to you, my people, to help us. I am instating the Earth Sphere Armed Legion. Those who enlist will be trained to operate a new type of weapon, which has been safeguarded until needed. The time is now, to reveal the Armed Legion Exo-Suits."

A photo appeared on the screen behind Dorothy, of a slightly-larger-than-human-sized mobile suit.

The press and Relena gasped. Dorothy glanced at Relena, and saw the disappointment and anger in her face. But there was nothing she could do about it now. And there was nothing she _would_ do about it. Relena had a role to play in this game, and Dorothy would let her.

"These suits are not much different than the weapons that were used in the attacks against us. And we are prepared to match the forces of evil with our own weapons. Those unknown started this conflict, and I intend to finish it."

Dorothy nodded and stepped away from the podium. The press shouted questions at her, which she ignored. Dorothy walked to the antechamber, Relena hot on her heels. Once they were inside and the door was closed, Relena whirled on her.

"How could you?" Relena shouted. Dorothy held up her hands.

"It was a necessary precaution, and you can't deny that we're going to need these. Besides, two presidents ago lifted your total weapons ban. They knew that kind of thinking wasn't going to work long-term. There are always people who will fight us."

"You're asking for our children to fight?" Relena asked. Dorothy shook her head.

"We have to do this," Dorothy said. "It's for the good of everything we've worked for."

"We fought to end all wars," Relena said, her face still red, her chest heaving with anger.

"War is inevitable."

Relena exhaled sharply and turned, heading for the door leading to a secret corridor. Dorothy watched her go. Relena was predictable, and Dorothy's plan was falling into place.

* * *

Marina saw Dorothy's speech on the television, while still locked in the bunker at her parent's home. She stood beside her cousins and friends, her hands clenched. She knew she wanted to fight. She wanted to be a pilot, like her father. But there was no way she'd be able to join the ESUN Armed Legion. She was too young for military service, and her mother would lock her in a tower somewhere like a cursed princess before allowing her to become a pilot.

Marina turned and saw that Milou and Naina were standing close together, whispering. She knew they were also thinking about joining the Legion. At least they were of age. But her uncle and aunt wouldn't allow them to join either, Marina was sure.

Katherine approached Marina's side and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I know what you're thinking, and it's not a good idea," she said. Marina gave her an innocent look.

"Don't know what you're talking about," Marina said.

Katherine rolled her eyes. "You're just like your dad," she said with a laugh. "Quatre says that all the time." Marina smiled to herself.

"You really think so?"

"I think Aunt Relena thought you'd end up like her," Naina said, interjecting into the conversation. She and Milou had ceased their whispering.

"Instead you ended up like Uncle Heero, and I don't think Aunt Relena knows how to handle that," Milou agreed. Marina blushed, and she would never tell them that she was glad she was like her father. She didn't understand her mother. A gulf had formed between them that Marina didn't know how to cross. And now she suspected, neither did her mother.

Marina turned her attention back to the television. A news reporter was talking about Dorothy's Exo-Suits, flashing pictures on the screen. Marina felt an excitement in her she'd never really felt before.

* * *

Rain lashed against the windows of the tallest office tower in Moscow. Water ran in rivulets down the large windows. Arthur Walker stood at the window, staring out over the city, his hands clasped behind his back. He sighed and ran a hand through his greying hair.

The door to his office opened, and Arthur turned around. Doug Morra walked into the room, wearing a nicely tailored suit. His grey-free brown hair was slicked back. Arthur liked Doug, but always felt that he looked so much older than the man who was only ten years younger. Perhaps the years of running RenTech Industries as CEO had aged him faster than an upstart revolutionary.

A woman walked through the door behind Doug and closed the door. Her name was Grace Murphy, and she was the head of ODIN's Exo-suit army. In her mid-thirties, she was practically age-less with her wavy blonde hair and bright hazel eyes. She wore an ODIN uniform, black with grey trim. They crossed the room and sat down on the opposite side of Arthur's desk.

Arthur walked to his sideboard and pulled a decanter of rum from the cupboard and three glasses. He walked back to his desk, sat down, and poured out three glasses. He handed two over to the others and leaned back in his chair, circling his fingers around the glass.

"Well, she declared war," Arthur said. "As we expected."

"The former President would not have been so easy to manipulate," Doug said. "Madam President Catalonia is much easier to sway to war."

"Do you think her supposed army of Exo-Suits will match ours?" Arthur said.

Doug and Grace both scoffed.

"Of course not. Our people are trained killers. Whatever riffraff she comes up with will be too green to go into battle," Grace said.

"This war will be over before the ESUN can blink," Doug said, sipping his rum, a smile curling on his lips.

* * *

-SE


	8. Earthbound

_To live to feel the earth in motion_

_I can see there's much hope in changing this world_

_But no one's listening_

_We've been living our lives so long in denial_

_Like whispers to the wind_

_Earthbound_

_We are shackled to the same ground_

_Our hope, one chance_

_Earthbound!_

_-Earthbound by Bury Tomorrow_

* * *

Before the artificial sunlight on the colony brightened into daylight, DJ was up and out of bed. He checked his phone once more, pulling up the ad that the ESUN had plastered all over the Internet.

_Wanted: Young adults willing to pilot Exo-suits!_

DJ knew this was his ticket to Earth and to join the fight. Of course, he had to do a little- document altering- in order to pass the initial screening. He managed to modify his public citizen profile to make his age appear to be eighteen. DJ had learned a lot from his father, in spite of his mother's attempts to shield him from the Preventer work that his father frequently participated in. Besides, any military should be happy to have the son of a Gundam pilot in their ranks.

DJ packed a bag of clothes, trying to move through his room as quietly as possible. His mother was still asleep, as was the rest of the house. If he acted quickly, he'd be able to get out and be long gone before anyone realized it. Bag packed, he slung it over his shoulder and crept to the door. He eased it open, listening hard for any movement within the house. But he heard nothing. Pulling the door open further, he slipped into the hallway and padded lightly down the hall towards the back door of the house. He threw a glance over his shoulder, but no one had come from their room. DJ reached for the doorknob, unlocked it, and slipped through the door into the backyard of the house. He pulled the door closed behind him.

He was free.

DJ circled the house to the front and half-jogged down the sidewalk towards the temporary recruitment center, which was being housed at the L2 Government building. It was a short walk, but DJ hurried anyway, wanting to get in line and through their inspection before his mother realized he was gone.

As he walked, he fell in line with many others, who appeared to be only slightly older than himself, who were walking in the same direction. Young men and women with determination set in their faces marched towards the Government building. DJ blended right in.

DJ arrived at the Government building and immediately saw military uniforms everywhere. They were guarding the building and directing the recruits inside. DJ nodded to one as he passed. He tried to keep his gaze averted, to avoid anyone spending too much time looking at his face, and perhaps guessing him to be younger than his lie.

Several lines formed at a checkpoint. DJ joined one of the lines and waited, his bag becoming heavy hanging from his shoulder. A young woman stood in front of him. Her blonde hair was cropped short, and she was wearing jeans and a bomber jacket. When he caught sight of her profile, he thought she didn't look much older than himself.

The line crept forward until the woman in front of him reached the table at the front. Two military officers in green uniforms sat on the other side, two computers up in front of them.

"Name?"

"Abby Worth," she said. One of the officers typed something up on the computer, then looked up at her, a hard frown on his face.

"You're only seventeen. The age minimum is eighteen," he said. Abby threw up her hands.

"Please! You have to let me fight! My uncle died in the attacks on the ESUN," she cried.

"Sorry, miss, but you must get out of line and go home. Come back when you're eighteen."

"Please, sir!" He shook his head. DJ's hands grew clammy as he watched the scene, growing more and more worried about his own attempt. Sulking, Abby left the line. As she passed him, she glanced up and met his eyes. DJ knew what he was going to do on his way to Earth. He was going to change her profile for her.

He stepped up to the table.

"Duo Maxwell, Junior," he said. The man typed in his name into the system. DJ tried to hide his nervousness.

"Check out. Fill out this form," he said and handed over a tablet. DJ skimmed the document. It was some kind of agreement, but he didn't fully understand the language. He shrugged and signed his name at the bottom with his finger. He handed back the tablet.

"Go ahead and join the others in the waiting room. You'll be taken to the shuttle port to head to Earth."

"Thanks."

DJ walked past the table and into his future.

* * *

Heero sat in the command room of the Preventer headquarters, feeling useless. Sally and Wufei were already gathering candidates for the Exo-Suits, Duo was hacking, Quatre and Relena were locked away with Dorothy, and Trowa was helping at the clean-up site.

Heero had already tried to find out if he could pilot the Exo-suit, but the message that came from Dorothy, likely backed by Une and Relena, was that Heero was not allowed. Much to Heero's annoyance, they were looking for younger kids, who were more agile and able to maneuver the suits. Heero disliked thinking of himself as being "old," when he really wasn't, but he certainly wasn't the fifteen-year-old soldier he'd once been.

Duo's phone began to ring. It vibrated on the surface of the computer console. Duo shook himself and picked up the phone, glancing at the screen.

"Uh oh," he mumbled. From where Heero sat, he could see that it was Hilde calling. That was usually not a good sign. Duo sighed and answered the call.

Hilde's voice came through loud and clear.

"DUO! DJ IS GONE!"

Duo flinched and blinked several times.

"What do you mean, he's gone?"

"He packed up his stuff, and he disappeared. Is he with you?" she demanded.

"Of course not," Duo said. "I wouldn't have done that without you knowing."

"Well then where did he go?"

"I have no idea, Hilde," Duo replied. Heero felt sympathy for Duo. He was trying his best and it never seemed to be good enough.

"Find him!"

"I will. I'll start right now," Duo said. The line went dead. He closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair.

"Do you want help?" Heero asked. Duo opened his eyes and glanced at him.

"Please," he answered. Duo set his phone down.

"I'll find where he went," Heero offered, and Duo nodded. He turned back to his computer. Heero turned towards another computer and began to search for DJ's name in various records. It wasn't hard to find. Old hat, in fact, and when Heero saw what DJ had done, he felt a swell of pride for the kid, though Heero knew the poor guy was going to be in a lot of trouble.

"Duo," Heero said.

"Yeah?"

"He changed his age in his official record profile and he's now listed as a potential exo-suit pilot," Heero said. Duo pushed his chair across the floor to Heero's side and looked at the screen.

"That damn kid," Duo said, looking over his son's profile. "He learned from the best, ya know."

"Hilde isn't going to be happy," Heero said. Duo closed his eyes.

"I know. She's going to murder me, likely, so at least say something nice about me at my funeral."

"Sure," Heero said, allowing a small smile. With a deep breath, Duo picked up his phone once more and dialed Hilde. Heero rose and left the room, not wanting to hear how _that _conversation went.

* * *

Zechs arrived at the bunker with Noin in tow, looking worse for wear, but alive. Marina gently hugged her aunt, happy to see her alright. Milou and Naina hugged their mother, then broached the subject that the teenagers had been discussing for the past several hours.

"You must let us go!" Naina was saying. "We're old enough!"

Zechs and Noin frowned at their children. Marina stood nearby, watching, curious to see how the conversation would go.

"I forbid it," Zechs said.

"Come on, father! You both fought in the wars. Let us!" Milou argued.

Zechs crossed his arms over his chest.

"I just brought your mother home from the hospital, and you want to talk about going out and fighting?" he said. Milou and Naina lowered his chins to their chests in shame. Noin stepped forward and placed her hands on her children's shoulders.

"You are destined for so much more than dying on some battlefield," she said, in her attempt to smooth over the situation. They lifted their heads and nodded to their mother, but Marina knew that no matter what their parents said, they were going to try and join the fight.

"Besides," Zechs added, his arms still crossed, "you don't even know what you're fighting for. We don't know what these terrorists want."

Milou opened his mouth to reply, but seemed to think better of it. He shut his mouth.

In her pocket, Marina's phone buzzed. She pulled it out and checked. There was a text message from DJ Maxwell. She hadn't heard from him in a while, since his parents separated. Marina opened the message.

_I'm on Earth!_

Marina's eyebrows rose.

_How did you get here? What are you doing? _

The reply came quickly.

_I joined the ESUN Armed Legion. I'm going to be an Exo-Suit pilot!_

_What? HOW? You're not 18._

_I changed my profile to make me look old enough. Worked like a charm. _

Marina glanced up and looked around. Everyone else was busy or distracted with other things.

_Can you change mine? _

Her stomach tensed. What would he say?

_Sure. I can probably do that. Give me a day or so. _

Marina suppressed the urge to cheer. She wished DJ luck, then stowed her phone in her pocket, trying not to smile. Now the problem would be getting out of the bunker so she could join the Armed Legion. There had to be a way.

* * *

A/N: Hope everyone is staying safe!

-SE


End file.
